COPD

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. The primary contributor to COPD is cigarette smoke. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and there is no cure.

The two primary conditions are:

Emphysema- Damage to the walls between air sacs, causing destruction of the lungs over time.

Rodents are the typical species used when studying COPD. Recent publications suggest that cigarette smoke exposure to animals, using a smoke generating device, is the best approximation to human COPD. Other approaches include long-term lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure and the use of genetically modified models.

Primary endpoints of interest include static and dynamic compliance and lung volumes.

DSI solutions are helping researchers learn more about how to treat COPD.

Smoke Generator – Completely automated and capable of burning up to 300 cigarettes, the smoke generator captures direct and indirect smoke and delivers it to an exposure apparatus including chambers, towers, or individual exposure tubes.

FPRC - FinePointe resistance and compliance hardware helps researchers measure an animal’s airflow and lung pressure. This anesthetized approach allows for direct measurement of an animal’s response to a bronchoconstrictor either using an aerosol or I.V.

PFT - The pulmonary function testing system allow for a comprehensive assessment of the lungs. All lung volumes and spirometry equivalent test results are completed in a matter of minutes; allowing for high throughput and quicker results.